Zev Radovan/www.biblelandpictures.com

THE HOUSE OF DAVID. This fragmented ninth-century B.C.E. inscription from Tel Dan in northern Galilee appears to commemorate the victory of an Aramean king over the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The 13 partially preserved lines of Early Aramaic, written in paleo-Hebrew script, mention both the “House of David” (Beit David) and the “king of Israel.” The stela’s discovery in 1993 marked the first time the name David has been found in any ancient inscription outside the Bible.